B&O American Brasserie Photos

Grilled BBQ Quail

English Pea Gnocchi

Wild Mushroom Ravioli

Tuna & Beet Tartare

Asparagus Salad

King Salmon

Bacon-Fava Bean Risotto

Pineapple Basil Sorbet

B&O American Brasserie

Overall Review

B&O American Brasserie is located in Hotel Monaco which is situated just on the outskirts of Baltimore’s Mt. Vernon.  This self proclaimed railroad inspired restaurant has seating and dining tables that are reminiscent of box cars. For those of you that are interested here a little lesson on the origin of the Brasserie.  As part of this french dining experience, meals are served in a high-end yet relaxed setting.     Parking in this area is a challenge in general. You will just have to drive around until you find parking on the street a reasonable distance away and walk back. After dinner, we decided to take a walk around the hotel, which is as bright and welcoming as B&O is dark and rather forbidding. This is a great place to have after work drinks with coworkers or if you are staying in the hotel. It would also be a great place to discuss business with a client or other business associate.  The food is not much to write home about.  We recommend that if you try this restaurant you stick with the small plates and avoid the main dishes.  Overall we give B&O American Brasserie ♪♪ and a half note. 

Let's take a closer look at the food:

King Salmon:

The chef paired raw salmon belly meat and smoked salmon on the same plate.  This was a strange combination.  Despite the fact that they were both salmon, the prep styles were so drastically different that it was odd.  The smoked salmon completely overpowered the fresh salmon.  The smoked portion was too salty while the fresh had no salt at all.  It felt like two different dishes combined into one.  Each preparation would have been much better if served alone. 

Grilled BBQ Quail:

 This was by far the most creative and tasty of all the dishes we tried.  The chef split a quail in half and grilled each half on a skewer with chunks of smoked bacon and small strategically placed candied orange slices. Brilliant!  He then rested these skewers on a pine nut risotto.   Lets be clear that there was no rice.  The pine nuts took the place of rice in this risotto.  It was a smokey, savory, slightly sweet masterpiece whose taste was reminiscent of grilled baked beans. The quail was cooked to perfection, with a moistness and slight gaminess to it that added a ton of flavor. 

Asparagus Salad:

Imagine asparagus cut lengthwise into ribbons, mixed with arugula and country ham, under which is hidden shavings of Pecorino cheese.  It was topped with sunflower sprouts and a fried egg.  We have to give the chef credit for creativity and taste on this dish.  It was actually quite good.   

English Pea Gnocchi:

This is where things began a rapid downward spiral.  There were parts to this dish that were good, but overall it was quite disappointing.  The sauce was actually made out of peas (pureed and whole) and was tasty.  However, the gnocchi was doughy and grainy.  There were pieces of well cooked and fairly tasty lobster interspersed throughout the dish.  

Wild Mushroom Ravioli:

The ravioli was clearly home made and made quite badly.  The dough was too thick, too tough and too dry.  The mushroom filling had little to no flavor.  The braised greens were bitter.  This was terrible!  In the words of Antwon and Blaine, "Hated It!!!!"

Bacon-Fava Bean Risotto:

This chef needs to leave pasta alone.  It is not his friend nor is he a friend to it.  The bacon was tasty  and added a wonderful smokiness. But that is the only good thing we can say about this dish. 

The risotto was a bit gummy.

 

Pineapple Basil Sorbet:

This was a great way to end a lackluster meal.  This aromatic and floral sorbet brought a smile to our faces.  It was sweet and tart with a dash of savory.  This sorbet was refreshing, very well done! 

2 North Charles Street  

Baltimore, MD 21201
(443) 692-6172

 

Melissa's Review

I have a theory about restaurants located in hotels; 7 out of 10 times stay clear.  For some reason they are often sub-par.  I find that they can lack creativity and spark.  As I think about the impression that B&O American Brasserie left with me, my thought is blah!  They simply reinforced my theory about hotel restaurants.  The décor in the upstairs dining room with its forest greens and chocolate browns was dark, plain and a bit depressing.  I commented to Angela that there was no wall art or decorations; there was nothing to make the large room stand out or give it personality.  The lounge area downstairs on the other hand was warm and cozy.  It clearly had a much better atmosphere.  The food was hit or miss.  Upon reflection, I notice that the chef was most successful with the dishes that he did not have to cook, with the exception of one (the Grilled BBQ Quail).  I appreciated his attempt at fusing lots of different cooking styles together.  However, I feel that he fell short.  His inability to cook Italian food was EXTREMELY clear!!!  How on earth do you make and then serve pasta that is dried out?  I have never experienced that before.   It looked dried out when it arrived at the table.  I could see it, why couldn’t he?  Our waitress was knowledgeable, kind and available.  Overall, I give B&O American Brasserie ♪♪.       

  

Angela's Review

This restaurant is a bit of a study in contrasts. It doesn’t seem to fit into a clear mold, with regards to the décor. This is a restaurant located in a hotel which may have something to do with it.  Upon arriving, we were escorted to the second floor to be seated. The second floor was rather dark and austere. The booth in which we were seated could have easily seated two or three more people. I almost felt dwarfed. It was a big table surrounded on three sides by the wall and facing out towards the stairs leading to the first floor.  Candles provided the lighting. Basically the décor consisted of heavy dark woods and dark and neutral fabrics, in colors like hunter green and eggshell.  It seemed like the kind of place someone might chose to conduct an after-hours business dinner where one did not want to be seen and bothered much by others. However, the downstairs has a completely different feel. Even though it was still mostly dark woods and colors, there were lighter colors mixed in and people mixing and mingling. The bar is very nice and faces the outside wall which is basically a huge window.  In front of the bar is a long table with stools. And near the front door, off to the side, is a section with white chairs arranged in a sort of semi-circle facing a big flat screen TV. The kitchen is situated along the back of the restaurant and is open. Ok, as for the food here. There were things I LOVED and things that I didn’t quite understand. I have never had gnocchi or ravioli quite like it anywhere else (I can’t say this was a good thing). On the other hand, I was impressed and amazed with the chef’s creativity when it came to pairing unusual ingredients and providing a twist on a standard such as, “risotto.” I have to say that this place was pretty hit or miss, but given that I would definitely go back for the one or two things that pretty much blew my socks off, I still give it ♪♪♪.

Seared Scallops Photo

Seared Scallops

Seared Scallops

Of the two of us, Melissa is the cook. I fully admit that I hardly EVER venture into the kitchen. It is not so much that I cannot cook as much as it is that I have the attention span of a gnat...Lol. I can't stay focused long enough to make a shopping list and once I am in the grocery store I can't stay focused long enough to get all the items on the list before I am ready to leave. On the other hand, when it comes to food, I know what I like (if you had not already noticed ;). This means that I have many more cookbooks than one person who hardly ever cooks should have.  The running joke around my house is that once every year or two, I pull one of them off the bookshelf, dust it off, and prepare a 4-course, gourmet meal, which everyone enjoys and then resign themselves to not seeing this phenomenon again anytime soon. So this time around, I decided it was my turn to come up with a recipe for our Tuesday night meal and do the shopping. I settled on a receipe I have had my eye on for quite a while now from my Perfect Spanish Cookbook, Seared Scallops. Let me tell you something, this recipe is SO going into my repertoire. It is simple to shop for, simple to make, and simply amazing.

To recreate this dish, you will need about a pound and a half of scallops; olive oil; orange juice; your favorite infused oil (we used Black Truffle Extra Virgin Olive oil in place of the recommended olive oil and hazelnut oil, mostly because hazelnut oil, and our second choice, almond oil has apparently been discontinued in or unobtainable to every grocery store in Baltimore); salad greens (we always use spring mix since lighter greens lack many of the nutrients found in their darker counterparts); your favorite bleu cheese (we used buttermilk); and fresh chopped dill to sprinkle on top.

First, you whisk 4 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp orange juice and 2 tsp hazelnut oil, if you are able to find it. Or you can whisk 3 tbsp orange juice and  4/5 tbsp Black Truffle Extra Virgin Olive oil (or other infused olive oil), add sea salt, pepper to taste, and set it aside.  Next, you sear the scallops, about a minute on each side, in an extra hot pan, using a splash of the infused oil  in addition to whatever cooking oil you chose. Finally, place the scallops atop the greens, sprinkle bleu cheese and chopped dill on top and spoon olive oil and orange juice mixture over it and Viola! Enjoy!

Pacific Coast Dining Company Photos

BBQ Scallop Bacon Skewer

Cashew Encrusted Seared Salmon

Saffron Crab Risotto

Tiramisu

Ahi Tuna Sashimi

Fire Cracker Shrimp

Pacific Coast Dining Company Review

Overall Review:

Pacific Coast Dining Company is situated on a busy corner in the heart of Baltimore’s Little Italy.  This quaint restaurant looks unassuming from the outside, but don’t let that fool you.  There is much culinary pleasure to be found on the inside.  The main dining room is small but not too crowded.  A huge bar is the focal point of the restaurant, while a huge bay window that takes up one wall brings brightness and character.  The food is utterly surprising.  Bold, spicy and memorable are just a few adjectives to describe our meal.  This menu boasts many options, at least one of which should satisfy any patron.  As soon as you walk into the restaurant the wondrous smells punch you in the nose.  One of the unique features of this restaurant is that Chef Bruno takes care to awaken your pallet with his appetizers and them calms it with his entrees.  This would be a great first date spot, as well as a great place to hang out with friends.  They do not have valet parking but there is street and garage parking.  Overall we give Pacific Coast Dining Company ♪♪♪ and a half note.

Let’s dive into the food:

Ahi Tuna Sashimi:

This is a perfect example of the chef’s desire to blend Italian and Asian.  His mixture of pasta noodles and Ahi with sauce was eclectic and fun.  Sweet Thai chili sauce and wasabi is a perfect marriage.  The tuna in this dish was not as fresh as the other seafood and it did need a little special loving. 

Fire Cracker Shrimp:

This signature creation utilized spices so complex they kept evolving in your mouth.  Each jumbo shrimp was resting on thin slices of perfectly crusty crostini, then topped with the most sublime sweet and savory tomato sauce you have ever had.  Be forewarned this is one messy dish that will leave you licking your fingers long after the shrimp are gone.

BBQ Scallop Bacon Skewer:

The citrus based BBQ sauce covered plump, moist and flavorful scallops that were cooked to perfection.  The chef had the nerve to create this super soft yet crispy wonton to rest his scallops on.  These wontons were we so light and airy and perfectly matched the softness of the scallops. 

Saffron Crab Risotto:

This talented Sicilian cooked the risotto to perfection.  It tasted and smelled of the ocean.  It was light, flavorful and plentiful.  There was an ample amount of crab proving that the chef does not skimp on the ingredients.

Cashew Encrusted Seared Salmon:

The chef used wild caught salmon which had a super robust flavor.  Wasabi and cashews encrusted the fish and complimented it rather than overpowering it.  The not too sweet beurre blanc sauce was savory and complimented the fish well.  The accompaniments to this dish were herbed potato wedges and fried zucchini, both of which were delicious.    

  

Tiramisu:

Definitely not your typical tiramisu, instead of being presented in a glass or layered on your plate, this dessert was presented in a role.  The mascarpone cheese filling was out of this world and the caramel was insane.  This dish is made fresh in house and is a must try. 

902 Eastern Ave  

Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 244-1185

Melissa's Review:

Pacific Coast Dining Company was a pleasant and refreshing surprise.  I was not sure a restaurant in Little Italy could successfully pull off an authentic Italian meal with an Asian flair.  This chef proved me wrong.  With each dish that came to the table, my smile grew bigger and bigger.  After much questioning, Angela and I found out that the chef is from Sicily.  Sicilian cooking (at least according to this chef) is quite different than mainland Italian cooking.  The chef’s heavy hand with flavors proved extraordinary.  Each bite of food felt like the first; spices exploded on the tongue in crescendos.   I found myself repeating again and again “How did he do this?”  Some of the flavors were so complex I could not figure out how he did it.  For those of you that know me well, I am really good at tasting a bite of food and telling you every ingredient/spice that’s in the dish.  This chef left me guessing.  There is nothing more exciting to a foodie than a meal that engages your taste buds and your mind.  This was a true food adventure, full of mystery, drama and intrigue.  I enjoyed the décor of the restaurant as well.  The vivid blues definitely gave the feel of being near the water.  The huge wall of windows looking out onto the street was reminiscent of a small café on the streets of Italy.  Our waitress was amazing.  She let us know that she had only been working at the restaurant for a month, however her knowledge of the menu and her table side sophistication made her seem like a pro.  Overall I give Pacific Coast Dining Company ♪♪♪ and a half note.

Angela's Review:

 

Pacific Coast Dining Company was frankly an unexpected but quite welcome treat. I didn’t expect the food and service to be as good as it was, and that was on a weekday night with one waitress and one bartender on duty and quite a few patrons waiting (or perhaps I should say, not waiting:) to be served. It had the feel of a neighborhood hangout, perhaps even one in some little town or even big city in Italy, instead of just being in Little Italy. We sat at a table situated underneath a bay window that comprises the whole front of the restaurant. It has a really authentic atmosphere. One of the things I have discovered in the last few years of eating out and from actually having spent some time in Italy, both in college, and since, on a trip with friends, is that while I have always thought I was not a great fan of Italian food, I am actually quite fond of Italian food, as long as it is the authentic, regional sort, and not the heavy, weighted down Americanized version. The food here was phenomenal. The chef is from Sicily, which, for me, explains everything. Pacific Coast Dining Company has made its way onto my list as my 2^nd favorite Italian restaurant in town (not that I have eaten at that many, but the food was really good.) Over the week since we ate there, I have had flashbacks of the firecracker shrimp. It was, “Oh hurt me baby good.” I would definitely recommend giving this place a try. I give it ♪♪♪ and a half note.